Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of headsman
Two other men, subjects of excellent Holbein drawings in the show, would keep appointments with the headsman.
—
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
Even if your reality is the headsman’s block!
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2021
Once upon a time, the queen could have sent rebels to the Tower and the headsman’s block, even relatives—especially relatives.
—Matt Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 9 Mar. 2021
The British prime minister has assembled a trio of headsmen to sever Britain from the mainland.
—Vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, 22 Mar. 2017
Several other leading figures of the period ended their days on the executioner’s block, including the unhappy Comte de Chalais, whose headsman bungled the job and ended up frantically chopping away at his screaming victim with a small hatchet.
—David A. Bell, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
Even if your reality is the headsman’s block!
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2021
Once upon a time, the queen could have sent rebels to the Tower and the headsman’s block, even relatives—especially relatives.
—Matt Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 9 Mar. 2021
The British prime minister has assembled a trio of headsmen to sever Britain from the mainland.
—Vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, 22 Mar. 2017
Several other leading figures of the period ended their days on the executioner’s block, including the unhappy Comte de Chalais, whose headsman bungled the job and ended up frantically chopping away at his screaming victim with a small hatchet.
—David A. Bell, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headsman
Noun
-
Pine has been chosen, unconsciously or not, by Roper as his heir and executioner.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Her husband is the judge, jury and executioner.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Just after the American Civil War, people in Pennsylvania were still following the ancient Roman polymath Pliny’s advice to wrap their aching heads with a piece of a hangman’s noose.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The classic effigy comes with a free hangman’s noose or lasso.—
Jack Handey,
New Yorker,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Jody Allen, as her brother’s executor and trustee, has a legal obligation to sell the team for as much money as possible, which requires careful timing and good business judgment when appraising the asset’s fair market value.—
Naomi Cahn,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The deal, if approved by a judge, would bring an end to a 2024 lawsuit filed against Epstein‘s former personal lawyer Darren Indyke and former accountant Richard Kahn, who are co-executors of Epstein‘s estate.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The masked murderer attempted to kill Sidney (Neve Campbell) in a bathroom in the original 1996 Scream, and succeeded in offing Phil (Omar Epps) in a movie theater bathroom stall in the 1997 sequel.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headsman. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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